Itami,

Yes, good point and you're right, Knoppix is great in these sorts of situation, as long as you've got a copy to hand...

I think in the case of our friend midgcool, what I'm hoping to do is help him (her?) out of a tight corner now; but a CD bootable distro such as Knoppix is certainly a very good idea (it's got me out of a couple of 'situations' myself in the past...)

Him btw....Yeh thanks guys for your quick and helpfull responses...If i did get a Knoppix CD, how would I get Mandrake working or is a reinstall inevitable?

Looks like it or if your dareing reinstalling x without a gui

ummm i'll think i'll pass on that...should be back on here with linux in about 40 mins

Thanks again for the help

I would definetly advise at this point that you should give up trying to fix or repair your mandrake installation..but rather reinstall (not in a rush, considering you have your schoolwork safe and sound now). If there's no other files on mandrake's partition that you need (make backups if there is) then just format fresh and reinstall mandrake. Best of luck.

By the way: I guess I did'nt mention it, but what I was trying to imply was that for the future knoppix is something most people should have on hand, in general.

Hi,

Knoppix is useful because it allows you to comfortably work with the files on your system using a nice GUI, etc.. So you can correct broken files more easily than working with the command line - at least, that's how I've used it in the past. There's also system tools, etc..

Whether or not you use Knoppix or work from the command line, a re-install isn't necessarily inevitable but needs to be decided on a number of factors, including how much time you have available and your level of experience - eg, with a bit of Linux experience, fixing the system may be quicker than a full re-install whereas for a new user, re-installing might well prove the quicker option.

That said, if you're willing to try a few things out, fixing a broken system will prove rewarding and offers a great opportunity to learn a little about how your computer works - if you can afford the time!

If you decide on a re-install, first back up important files if you can, but with Mandrake, you may well be in luck - by default, when installed, Mandrake creates a separate partition for the /home directory. So if you re-install, just make absolutely sure that you *don't* choose to format the /home partition and your files should remain instact...

I digress - how's the 'startx' business coming along?

Yep, where do I format it? From windows?

Hi,
Partition formatting is done during Mandrake installation - I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think you'll want to select 'custom' partitioning and go from there in the installer. Basically, when it gets to the partitioning stage, check your options carefully.

Hello

Thanks for all the advice and help...

Im back on linux after a clean install..Yay..I have all my important data backed up on a Win/Linux shared Fat32 partition,

Cheers guys

Chris

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Cool post

But seriously, the best way to learn Linux is to break something (accidentally) and try to fix it (if possible) Just try to avoid any heart attacks by saving any valuable data in a safe place, preferrably on a different medium/box (even a different but connected HD might accidentally be 'lost'))

Yeh, Ive learnt alot from this fiasco and luckily I got all my important data..and now have it backed up on sepearte partition